Brutal repression hardens Syrian protesters' resolve

Unrest continues in Syria despite the brutal repression. Republican candidates are getting ready for the 2012 US Presidential Election. And the entire Adolf Eichmann trial is now available to view on YouTube.

Brutal repression hardens Syria protesters' resolve

Men flee as security forces open fire during the night. This amateur video is said to be have been filmed on Monday night in the central Syrian city of Homs, as police were dispersing protesters gathered I n Clock Square which has been renamed Tahrir Square after the one in Cairo.

As these online images illustrate, thousands of people had occupied the square, calling for an end to the Bashar al-Assad regime. The wave of unrest, which began over a month ago in Syria, appears to be growing, despite the brutal repression of protesters.

Pictures of people killed by security forces in recent weeks are being widely relayed on social networks and are strengthening protesters’ resolve. The funerals of these victims, seen as martyrs by the people, are also an opportunity for further anti-government demonstrations.

These funeral ceremonies are often brutally broken up, and more lives are lost. This video which was uploaded on Sunday appears to show men seeking shelter as security forces open fire during a funeral in Talbesa, near to Homs.

These images which are circulating online are thought to show order forces celebrating following the violent repression of demonstrators in the Bayda region. They are chanting pro-government slogans.

And attempts to quash the protest movement have now spread to cyberspace. Blogger Anas Qtiesh is denouncing a Twitter campaign launched by supporters of the regime. They are trying to drown out any information on demonstrations using automatic messages with links to picturesque photos of Syrian landscapes for example.

USA: Republicans prepare for 2012 presidential election

In the US, campaigning for the 2012 presidential election is well and truly underway. Following Barack Obama’s announcement early April that he would be standing for a second term, candidatures from the Republican camp to take his place at the White House are multiplying. A large part of the Presidential race is taking place on the web.

The latest person to have set up his exploratory committee, the first formal step towards running for the Republican nomination in the 2012 Presidential election is Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor recently posted this video online in which he announces his 2012 White House bid. It’s a low key video, with Romney alone in a close up shot, and accentuates his success as a business man and his ability to put the US economy back on its feet.

But Mitt Romney is not the only one running for the Republican nomination. He was preceded by Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota governor, who appears to have understood all too well the importance of social networks as a campaigning tool. The man they call “T-Paw” announced his candidacy in a video on his Facebook page. He presents himself as the worthy successor to Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln and asks American voters to opt for veritable change in the upcoming Presidential election.

These two official candidates could be facing serious competition for the Republican nomination. Well, this is what Donald Trump’s supporters are saying. They have set up this site to encourage their hero to stand for President.

And Sarah Palin’s supporters are also active and are trying to convince her to run for the 2012 election. Near to 15 000 of her supporters have joined this Facebook group which is campaigning for Palin to take over from Obama next year.

The Eichmann trial on YouTube

50 years on from the Eichmann trial, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in Jerusalem, has uploaded videos of the trial to YouTube. Over 400 hours of footage is now available on the dedicated YouTube channel, along with other testimonies, in Hebrew, Yiddish, German and English.

We feed back

How many school children could you feed by donating the price of a pizza, a French beef stew or a hamburger to the United Nations World Food Program? The organization has set up a community site called “We Feed Back” to get web users involved, in a fun way, in the fight against world hunger. The project has the support of many well-known figures like Brazilian footballer Kaka and also the American singer Christina Aguilera.

Video of the day

Let the wind carry you as you fly through the sky… In this video, uploaded by the Melbourne Skydive Centre in Australia the dream becomes reality. These stunning images show free fallers indulging their passion, and will no doubt inspire others to try it for themselves.